Marans breed standards?

[Rattie]

Hello! I'm a fairly new egg - I started raising chicks this summer, but it didn't take long for chicken fever to hit! Amongst my little flock, I have a 16-week old Splash Marans. She is an absolute sweetie, but I would love some thoughts from a more experienced crowd on how she looks according to breed standards. She is a lap chicken, and adores her mama, so even if she isn't a perfect Marans, she's not headed for the broiler or stewpot ;-). I have no idea what color her eggs will be, although I was told they were bred to be a very dark brown. Thoughts?

 

[3riverschick]

Hi! Rattie,

Marans have white legs and feet with a pinkish cast to them. The beak on this bird should be white or white with a touch of horn color. That said, Sometimes Marans are born with yellowish legs and feet which turn the proper color as they grow older. I don't remember at what age this routinely happens. Don't be discouraged, check out the Marans thread at BYC
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/383387/marans-thread-breed-discussion-pictures-are-welcome/41400
and look for an answer from someone like gilvina or pinkchick with 3000+ posts to BYC. Cute little pullet.

Best Regards,
Karen in western PA, USA
Waterford English Sussex
Former Director of Archives, Marans of America Club
PR Director, Amer. Sussex Assoc.
The color of the legs, feet and beak are indicative of the color of the skin of the rest of the chicken. The Marans is a white-skinned breed. The presence of yellow legs and feet on a white-skinned breed (unless it is part of a transitional color phase {mentioned above }in a little chick) is indicative of foreign blood somewhere up close to the front of the bird's heritage.( like in the 3 to 4 most recent generations behind the bird).